Until there are no more questions for the mind to chew on…

Dattatreya

My dearest embodiments of pure love
When the inner and outer world is challenged by various factors of our existence, meditation is difficult. One can still meditate if he or she is well established and well settled within the world inside (inner world) and dependency on the external world is minimal. When an individual uses his senses purposefully, and if mind is not affected by the most enchanting of sense objects the world can offer, he could always bring his senses under control and detach from them at will. We are living in a world of fancy. There are many glitters around us, to hook ourselves, sometimes consciously and mostly unconsciously.

We are living in a world of fancy. There are many glitters around us, to hook ourselves, sometimes consciously and mostly unconsciously.

Inertia is easy to sell. Television and internet sells it well. Most of the objects that we use the eyes to experience sell inertia. At the same time, in moderation, everything has value. They are part of our life. We cannot ignore them all and be part of the society as well; because human existence is oriented in relationships, which is the tangible extension of relativity, the basic substratum of creation. This is also because there is an underlying flavor of emotions spicing up our relationships.
Do remember, anything in excess is BAD.

When inertia is at its peak, one cannot even handle the slightest of turbulences in life. They blame other people for their situation, which they themselves consciously or unconsciously created. They resort to excessive food, alcohol, sex or drugs to maintain their comfort levels.

The sale of tamas is rampant. Tamas means inertia. When we become couch potatoes, it is a clear sign that we have swallowed a lot of tamas, we have already bought ourselves into it. When inertia is at its peak, one cannot even handle the slightest of turbulences in life. They blame other people for their situation, which they themselves consciously or unconsciously created. They resort to excessive food, alcohol, sex or drugs to maintain their comfort levels. They watch sob stories such as soap operas and enjoy the sadistic pleasure of watching others suffering with an inner glee that they are relatively better off than those characters in the films! But, they do not understand the most important point, that they are accumulating similar karma in their own life through gathering and storing such emotions.

Whatever data is entered into our system or whatever is consumed through thoughts, words or action, or whatever food we consumed through our body, mind and intellect, becomes the ingredient and basis for our further existence, this and the next.

Data of suffering is unconsciously entered into their system. Since they are emotionally participating in those stories, they are living it or experiencing it. Those impressions are stored in their mind. This will become realities or ingredients of their next incarnation. Some people never have a clue for their suffering. They do not know why they are suffering in life despite many good deeds they might have accomplished in this existence. It is simple. Whatever data is entered into our system or whatever is consumed through thoughts, words or action, or whatever food we consumed through our body, mind and intellect, becomes the ingredient and basis for our further existence, this and the next. Remember, inertia sells well because its buyers are many. A food for senses is always sold well. If a new book is released with a title, “Tantric Sex for you”, or “100 new ways of making love” will sell well, and such authors who do this for money will be respected well by the society, while people will avoid a true satsang or company of an enlightened master because “Ah, the same boring lecture about SOUL which nobody has seen” or “This man brings forth my worst hidden fears into light”. People will choose to rather keep their fears and not let them go and pretend that they do not exist.

People rather say, “This man brings forth my worst hidden fears into light”. People will choose to rather keep their fears and not let them go and pretend that they do not exist.

Society consists of people. When the society is filled with tamasic people, they either convert the not-so-tamasic to their group or they destroy them. That means Tamasic community makes people in their own image or they destroy them. If you dig a little bit into the history, we can see that we have consistently destroyed; either killed or silenced all those who speak eternal truths. If we could not do that, we ran away from them and their teachings. Human Existence! It would be good to know.
We can see heavily tamasic and greedy people sitting in places of power, which is actually a big tragedy. They dish out “believable” excuses for not performing any positive action. They have impossibility pasted on their forehead loud and clear. Then again, they have come out of the same society that we belong to. The society created them. People will only get rulers that they deserve. Hence it is important to shed the tamas from the grass root level to create a better world. Transformation should positively happen in every heart of the society.

We can see heavily tamasic and greedy people sitting in places of power, which is actually a big tragedy. They dish out “believable” excuses for not performing any positive action.

When the time creates restlessness, it tests the talent of even the most consistent spiritual seeker. This is natural. Meditations and practices (sadhana) will become difficult. On one side the looming cloud of tamas which constantly push one to “sleep a little while longer”, and on the other side, the lack of environmental support. Mind really sways. Many give up. Many will become disillusioned. Many change their Gurus, imagining that it is because of their Guru that they are suffering!!!

When the time creates restlessness, it tests the talent of even the most consistent spiritual seeker… The best recommended practice during such time is Japa Yoga

The best recommended practice during such time is Japa Yoga, or the Yoga of Chants (chanting of the Lords name).
Lord Krishna and almost all the great masters who walked on earth have acknowledged the importance of Japa yoga. “Among the various types of Yajna (A ritual or sacrifice, into fire, which consists of chants (Manthras) and materials.) I am the Yajna or Japa” – Said the Avatar Krishna in Gita.
Gita also emphasizes on the importance of chanting “which destroys all afflictions, sins and sufferings”. Patanjali instructs that Japa must be done for prolonged period without interruption so that we become one with the chant and this should be done with deep reverence and respect. Japa is the very form of God. Perfection can be attained by chanting the Divine name. In this context, I remember the great Saint Valmiki – the transformation of the hunter Ratnakara to Sage Valmiki! He attained the highest possible state of spiritual elevation and total transformation (metamorphosis) by just chanting the name of the Lord Rama and thus becoming one with the name.
Constitutional change can happen when we become one with the name of the Lord. God is the subtlest of the subtlest. In that context, even the name is gross. But, the name itself can be considered as the form of God, where the sound is the form. The sound “OM” can be considered the form of God because God is formless or all forms.

The name itself can be considered as the form of God, where the sound is the form. The sound “OM” can be considered the form of God because God is formless or all forms.

Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya says “Control the self, restrain the breath, sift out the transient from the true. Repeat the holy name of the Lord and still the restless mind within. To this universal rule, apply your heart and soul.” Zarathushtra says that Japa (name of the divine) cures all ills. Guru Nanak said that the Holy Communion with the naam is the only means to have oneness with the Lord Supreme.
The Great Saint Kabir Das says “Without sincerity, thought or chant of Lord’s name is not possible. If one “imbibes” (be one with) just one particle of naam, – No, half a particle, all one’s sins will be reduced to ashes”. This is profound indeed. Chant from deep within. Be one with the chant. Keep your spine erect, and chant in your spine, if you could. Chanting just from the throat out is of no use. That will just be an addition to the already existing sound pollution. 🙂 Going within while chanting is important and be one with the name you chant also is equally important.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti said that “If you rub the mirror of your heart with the name of God, You will see the God’s effulgence reflected on it”. Beautiful!!

Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi said “Mantra is a channel of shifting current of thoughts. Mantra is a bund or dam put up to divert the water where it is needed. Japa is clinging to one thought to the exclusion of all other thoughts, that is the purpose of Japa. It leads to dhyana which ends in Self-Realization.”

Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi said “Mantra is a channel of shifting current of thoughts. Mantra is a bund or dam put up to divert the water where it is needed. Japa is clinging to one thought to the exclusion of all other thoughts, that is the purpose of Japa. It leads to dhyana which ends in Self-Realization.”Bhagawan Nithyananda of Ganesh Puri says “Japa is a means. Very easy as well as highly efficacious. Through japa sadhana, the vibration thus created, the body gets cleansed and by that the mind also becomes pure and Divine. Continuous Japa will result in nada-upasana and such a state will help to reach the state of Self-Realization”.

Bhagawan Nithyananda of Ganesh Puri says “Japa is a means. Very easy as well as highly efficacious. Through japa sadhana, the vibration thus created, the body gets cleansed and by that the mind also becomes pure and Divine. Continuous Japa will result in nada-upasana and such a state will help to reach the state of Self-Realization”. Here, Bhagawan talks about the cellular level purification due to the vibration created by chanting. Since body and mind are integrally connected, cleansing happens in the body also cleanses the mind, so on and so forth. Sincere Japa with a steady mind on the sound and the Lord, will ensure an all-round cleansing. This is the most effective practice possible in turbulent times.

Saint Teresa of Avila found completeness “when each breath began to silently say the name of Lord”.Eknath said ‘Remembrance is liberation. Forgetfulness is regression. Utterance of the name is essential devotion”.

Saint Teresa of Avila found completeness “when each breath began to silently say the name of Lord”. Eknath said ‘Remembrance is liberation. Forgetfulness is regression. Utterance of the name is essential devotion”

Shirdi Sai Baba said “God’s name is eternal, Allah Malik!” Baba also implies that God has no name. He is beyond name and forms.

Shirdi Sai Baba said “God’s name is eternal, Allah Malik!” Baba also implies that God has no name. He is beyond name and forms. But, for us, a name or form will be helpful to transcend to the formless. So, we should catch the rope of the name and climb to the highest possibility of our existence, while we can.
One more thought and I am off… Tukaram said “The Lord’s name is eternal. Do japa of Ramakrishna Hari and He will always save you. THIS IS MY LAST REQUEST AND ADVICE!” Thus concludes Saint Tukaram. With this note, I shall also conclude this text here.

Even when we can meditate, chanting can lead to deeper meditation. The name of Lord, the sound, the breath, the vibration, everything helps silence of the mind.

Scriptures have given a few road signs or guidelines for chanting, especially on its results. Some of them are as follows:

1. This is the era or Yuga (Kali Yuga) where people can achive the same results that one might achieve through penance, rigorous practices or rituals through chanting of lords name.
2. In this era, even manthra recitation need certain systematic approach, while chanting of lords name, anybody can do anytime, without any restrictions. Hence the best practice to follow in this era is chanting of Lord’s name.
3. The only requirement that any devotee need is absolute bhakti or devotion or faith on the deity of worship.
4. Lords name has the power of fire which burns hard karmas.
5. Those who consistently and with absolute surrender and dedication chants God’s name, will become as powerful as a Yogi who has done years of penance. He will be as purified as one who has done penance on fire.
6. One who chants more than 30 million times the name of God, will even change his hard destiny. The lines of his hand will change for good. Diseases and afflictions will leave him.
7. Those who chant more than 40 million times the name of God will never suffer poverty and will be rich inside and outside.
8.Those who chant more than 50 million times the name of God, will have awareness as that of great masters. Their stature will grow beyond limits. The more one chants, they will become pure inside. Nothing that belongs to earth will affect them ever again.

I shall leave you now to contemplate on these thoughts. When we cannot meditate, chanting helps. Even when we can meditate, chanting can lead to deeper meditation. The name of Lord, the sound, the breath, the vibration, everything helps silence of the mind. Chant the name, contemplate on the name of your chosen God or Guru and merge with that constitution, which would be the state of oneness. I wish you that.
Finally, Let us sincerely chant Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu. May the whole beings of the world and the world itself be Happy and Peaceful. All are one. One consciousness – or various expressions of one consciousness.
I love you
M

May the whole beings of the world and the world itself be Happy and Peaceful. All are one. One consciousness.

While I was sitting with Mohanji today afternoon, I saw him checking posts on Facebook. Suddenly he came across a picture of a young boy sitting next to his mother, waiting for her to wake up. However, his mother was not sleeping. They were outside, in Gaza war. He didn’t understand his mother was dead. She won’t wake up ever again. Mohanji’s subtlety couldn’t ignore the suffering. He immediately surged into action. He started typing, and after five minutes his consciousness delivered this message.

Love,

Bilja

Awareness is the key. An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind. These are not my words. This is a famous truth. There is no way we can buy justice through wars. One man’s gain is always another man’s loss. When will we understand that?

How many children became orphans in the last 7 days! How many children died! How many people lost everything? Who will answer? In the name of what is this? Land? Power? Politics? Supremacy? When will man understand? Gaza is burning. The world’s conscience is burning even if we try our best to ignore it.

Whether it be Gaza or any other country where beings are bound or murdered, conscience must get burnt.

Awareness is the key. An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind. These are not my words. This is a famous truth. There is no way we can buy justice through wars. One man’s gain is always another man’s loss. When will we understand that?

Our soul cannot be owned by any body. Likewise, earth cannot be owned by any being. It can only be used for a certain period of time. What is expected during this time, is peaceful co-existence.

Earth cannot be owned by any being. It can only be used for a certain period of time. What is expected during this time, is peaceful co-existence.

Earth cannot be owned by any. Earth is just a platform. Temporary possessions gives illusion of ownership. Transactions in paper makes us feel proud and money’s worth. But, when we die, we leave the paper and the property behind. Who owns earth?

Who will answer for the deaths and destructions that takes place in the name of land, religion and politics? All people are the same. All countries are the same. None higher or lower. None have the right to oppress or suppress another. Life must continue. When we walk on the blood paved paths of existence, our feet must hurt. Tons of accumulated atrocities and murders have weakened the natural vibration of earth and make it lesser and lesser habitable.

When emotions are ruling, wars are inevitable. Expect the backlash. Hit on conscience causes guilt. Guilt travels through time and lives. When collective guilt takes over, destruction takes place. We may fall lucky to shed the body earlier than the backlash to express itself fully. But, we may either come back or our own generations to come will curse the generations past for taking the soul out of earth, for killing the “life” of earth. None can escape the fruits of his action. This is an eternal truth. To keep a blind eye towards a crime is equal to committing it.

When emotions are ruling, wars are inevitable.

We are too selfish. We only like to sit back in the virtual world and watch the pictures of dead women and children on the facebook and hit “like” in support of the cause, irrespective of whether it is towards or against. We live in the artificial world of make believe and cheat ourselves in believing that everything is good outside there and inside within our own household. The children brought up completely in the virtual world are total misfits in the world outside. Everything happens for them in the virtual world and they cannot care less for other people’s suffering. We never consider even once that inertia has indeed left us totally bound and helpless. The only part of the body that actually moves are the fingers which click “like” on Facebook.

Now, I know that even these words here are useless, I know, because it is not possible for individual consciousness to fight against the gross and ugly collective consciousness hell bound for destruction and death. Useless because the comfort zone oriented man will just discard positive words as tall order and discard any potential for collective action. I know very well that even if a 1000 of us join hands against human atrocities, we will all be crushed mercilessly. The only permanent solution is increased awareness and different system of education.

Motherhood should happen in a more profound way. No mother will order the killing of any children. It has always been man. Love should prevail through motherliness.

Motherhood should happen in a more profound way. No mother will order the killing of any children. It has always been man. Love should prevail through motherliness.

Now, this mail is meant as food for thought. I am with the suffering and helpless. I love those who even help heal a small wound of the body or mind.

I am always hoping for Peace to prevail. Again, collective consciousness is too strong to grow any seeds of sensitiveness. Yet, let us not give up hope. Let us grow seeds in our own garden and distribute selflessly to other’s garden, too.

Experience vs. suppression; Does Jnana (knowledge) increase the ego; At which point is a person ready to become Guru; Path of annihilation; Why do we change Gurus; Whatever you deserve, you will get; Shaktipat is changing your software; How do we know that our Guru is the right one; Should one ask people to come for meditation; We can only start walking from where we stand now; Why is surrender so difficult, etc.

The most loving communion is possible only at the depth of one’s consciousness

Three levels of creation are thought-word and action. The fourth level of creation is collective consciousness. A team of people thinks that you are a good man. That affects you. Thoughts, words and actions are coming from vasanas, basic inherent desire. Constitution creates thought, word and action. Behind the vasana is the Karma. This is the clock … karma – vasana –thought, word and action and again it creates karma. That is why we keep taking birth after birth. We cannot stop it because we produce a new karma every moment. Then more desires happen and more thoughts happen. The ingredients of one’s karmic baggage will also consist of the baggage of the clan (inherited from ancestors), family as well as society. But, we could say that all these are our chosen baggage as we chose the parents as well as the corresponding experiences among a set of people and places.

If someone does not have a desire to smoke, he will never smoke. If you suppress something, it will sprout at the right point in time. You cannot suppress something in life and move ahead. You cannot suppress something for a long period of time. It is like a spring. If kept pressed for some time, one time you have to take your hand out. It springs up. It bounces back. Similarly, whatever you suppress, desire will spring up and will become a reality in your life at some point of time. You must experience things and move on.

Each person expresses based on the consciousness that he exists in. If you require lot of knowledge to satisfy intellect, then you will read a lot. You will join classes to acquire knowledge. You will be provoked to attend classes. Desire makes you move from one place to another. Desire for an ice cream will take you to the place where you can get ice cream. When you want an ice cream you may also pull your friend with you. ‘I do not like an ice cream and he also should not!’ It does not happen like that. Each individual is complete by himself/herself. You come together because karma brings you together. Otherwise you cannot come together, you will not express anything together.

The place where you are born, the events you went through, everything is predetermined through your Prarabdha karma, the karma which provoked an existence. Uncompleted desires at the time of death, provoked this existence. You went to the right womb and right place, where you can complete this journey. We take birth and go through the journey. While we are going through, we add more karma. But we do not have enough petrol to complete the added journey.Your agenda increases. So we take another birth with more fuel (breath), and continue our journey in a new car (body)!

What is jnyana? Jnyana or knowledge is only for the mind or intellect, mostly intellect. If jnyana becomes a rope to climb higher in spirituality, then it is good. If jnyana creates ego, it becomes a burden. Craving for understanding of the fabric of life is in everybody. When we take birth, we operate from limited consciousness. Mind, the intellect (or buddhi) is from this life. The consciousness is from the other lives. The soul which is the petrol of your car, cannot operate on this level if you do not allow it to. How will you reach your soul? The same mind which goes out with the senses should be brought back. Sheath by sheath it should penetrate. Then it reaches the soul. That is why sadhana has to be intense. Desires may be intense in the beginning, then, once fulfilled, they will drop off. When you achieve Shiva, desires are not there.

Q. If Jnyana creates Ego; and it blocks the progress, how do we stop it?

A: First understanding, then observation. Observe your thought, word and action. You have two choices to deal with the society- 1. to react, and 2. to respond.

Reaction is always a consort of emotions. It always originates from emotions. When you are agitated or someone abuses you, you react. Buddhi or intellect is out of focus at that time. Buddhi becomes blurred and does not exist at the time of reaction. This is why whenever you get angry, since intellect is not there to control it, you will regret later.

When you respond, buddhi is working. Emotions are not circulating. Response will have longevity. Reactions have a short life and also it leads to catastrophes of life.

Life gets deeply affected when person is in the reactionary mode all the time. It creates a lot of guilts and calamities. All this needs – is to be observed. When you express something, observe. E.g: When you get angry– you have to express anger, so that the other person understands. Express anger, but do not get emotionally involved with it. A child is sick and is not taking medicines. Mother gets angry and says, “I will not give you sweets if you do not take medicine!” Here, mother is not angry with the child, she is doing it out of love. At the same time, if you are emotional about it, or you behave in an authoritative or ownership way, the mother-child relationship gets strained.

Knowledge or jnyana is not a burden, provided it is useful for your further journey. Knowledge is a burden if it becomes intellectual weight. If knowledge is a key to open a door, it is good. If you are using knowledge to “show off ” in front of others, or using it to express your ego, it is a burden for you. “In the feast of EGO everyone goes home HUNGRY”. No one is satisfied with ego. We all live this way!

Anger, ego, hatred – everything can be tackled only through observation, clarity, awareness. Mind also can be tackled through observation. Nature of mind is to be restless. You cannot do anything about it. That is the way you are born. When nature of mind is restless, allow it to be restless. At the same time observe and be detached from it. Watch how the mind functions. When you watch how your mind functions for a period of time, it itself will stop functioning. The gap between thoughts becomes longer. The empty space gets extended. That is the place of peacefulness and silence. That becomes you and your character. Your expressions will change. You will operate with peace in the society. That attracts people to you. When we need something, it annihilates peace to certain extent. When you need nothing, peace happens within and expressions of peace within, happen outside. We will operate with unconditional love. We will love for the sake of love, and not out of any desire. We do not need anything from anybody. Once that happens, we are liberated. All thoughts, words and actions based on unconditional love are liberation. You will not take more births!

Otherwise, we keep coming back. There is so much of pending activity. If you are tired of today’s work in the office, you have to come back tomorrow and finish it! Is it not? Nobody else will help you. Same here!

The happening called Guru

Q: At which point is a person ready to become Guru?

A: A Guru should happen. You cannot become a Guru through doing. You can become an Acharya or a teacher through doing. If you learn from a lot of books, you can become an Acharya. You can be trained to become a teacher! To become a Guru, it should happen by itself. That means, ‘You becoming a Guru should happen to you’. Guru-ship or Gurudom should fall in place. That time you may not want to talk to anybody. A true Guru is deeply connected to the source and operates in perfect equanimity with no desires. Acharyas (teachers) are plenty. True Gurus are very rare.

Q: Is it similar to Tatwamasi?

A: No. What is tatwamasi? Thou art that! That means You are God. If it is just an intellectual understanding, it means nothing. When you repeat this understanding in mind, it means nothing. You become God by expressing God. What is God? Unconditional love, being full of love – you have no desires, your existence is for the sake of love. You exist in bliss state, beyond all duality. That is god hood.

Guru is absolutely detached. Look at Bhagawan Nityananda, Shirdi Baba. They wanted nothing. In 20th century, people were talking of haves and have nots! But, in India, we always had a third class, who could have everything if they had wanted, instead they wanted nothing. Tatwamasi is a great principle. If you understand Tatwamasi, it should be in experience and not intellectual understanding. People most of the time talk about ‘Tatwamasi, Aham Bramhasmi or I am God’ – that is probably out of intellectual understanding. The real core meaning of Tatwamasi is becoming Parabramha, Father or Allah, whatever name you want to call it by. Become that, be that. It is formless imperishable entity. The representation of that entity in you is your own soul. Be the soul. The soul needs nothing from you. It never interferes in your journey. When soul leaves the body, we call it a dead body. You will call it ‘X person’s body’. When soul exits body, the body has no meaning anymore. Soul takes away the name of the body.

We are such fragile creatures, and still we have a lot of ego. 80% of our vital functions are not controlled by us; heart beat, circulation, digestion, respiration. We take some silly decisions and then become egoistic about it. I am saying this for the sake of awareness. If our awareness level is high, we will accept our daily life as it is, and we will be peaceful. Suppose, someone tells you that ‘at such and such a date and time you will die’ – some people will panic as we are so attached to the body. They will feel, “Oh!, my body is going, what will I do now?” But, some people will be okay with it. They will accept it as a true possibility, an inevitability and will be comfortable with it.

We are worried about small, small things. Will I get parking today? We operate only in ‘this’ level of consciousness. Baba can give you enlightenment but you ask Baba for vehicle parking space!He can take you at the highest level of awareness. Every day you are asking about car parking! And you do get parking. Faith is working and we do not realize that faith is working. We do not use the available rope to climb to the highest point in this life, instead, we stay stuck in our mundane troubles associated with our daily existence.

Q: If faith is working, then why do we shift to so many Gurus?

A: There are two things. The first thing is that restless mind takes you to too many Masters. Mind says, “This is not good enough, look at him. Let’s go for somebody higher.” Usual result is disillusionment.

Second thing is, you elevate yourself to higher level and then the old Guru may not be able to teach you anymore. When you go from 2nd to 4th standard, the same teacher cannot teach you. In the 10th std another teacher must come. This is elevation. This way you will change your Gurus or rather, the guru may change. But this has to happen. Here, you are not changing anything. The new Guru is happening in your class. When mind says “I do not want this Guru, he smokes!” you are disowning that matter which would have elevated your consciousness because of your prejudice -you dis create your requirements from that particular Guru. He does not vibe with your prejudice. Naturally he will not. The problem is not with the available guru, but the mental image that you created for yourself. Your husband, son, daughter will also not obey exactly the way you want. Same like that. Another person who is Guru and you say he should not wear jeans and T-shirt! This is mind’s job. Mind is telling you. Mental images are blocking you. Then we change the Guru. We keep changing the Guru especially if the true guru dish out bitter pills, and finally, we do not know where we are going. Then you surrender. You say I had enough of this. Sometimes it goes to suicidal tendencies because you think you wasted your life. Most people spend their entire life in searching and not finding the Guru. When the actual Guru comes, you cannot identify him because your mental images blocks recognition! What a tragedy!!!

You already created mental pictures of Guru. You already bought the frame. If Guru fits into the frame, it is fine. What if Guru is bigger than the frame? We discard the Guru and not the frame. This is how we function. Let’s take a closer look at ourselves. We are indeed like that.

Q: What are the qualities of a Guru? If we are looking for Moksha, the liberation, then how do we know whether this guru will help us?

A: Qualities of a Guru depend on which class you are studying in and from which level you are operating. Do you know the class you are studying in? The Guru which comes in front of you is the right one for you. A student in 2nd standard cannot decide what kind of teacher he needs because he does not know. This is a basic truth. So, the teacher who comes in the class is the right one for you. If your quest is true, the right Guru will happen in your life. For that, we have to accept and be non-resistant. This is a fundamental principle of spirituality.

“The food that comes on table for you today is the medicine for you. So say the Vedas”.

We may not like the food nor maybe we never chose that food. We wanted biryani but got the dosa! If you accept that food as medicine, then there is no friction within. When there is no friction within, peace descends upon you. When peace descends, you operate at the level of equanimity. This continuously brings you good things.

In our path of Shiva, quality of Guru will be the one who helps in annihilation or destruction of all baggage, desire, vasanas, habits and all that is binding one to earth. More things will be shed from you. Look at all the Masters of Dattatraya tradition. They never wanted anything. They were leaving everything. They were detached from everything and helped people to stay detached or unattached.

Why does Shiva wear ash on the body? What does ash means? Ash means complete nullification of everything. Fire burns everything indiscriminately and forms ash. This is what exactly we are. Liberation happens out of ash. Shiva wears nullification on the body. It means I belong there – i.e in perfect nullified state. The principle of Shiva is dissolution. This is even bigger than Enlightenment. Do not confuse between enlightenment and dissolution.

The Enlightenment is a shift in consciousness when you develop a much larger awareness. The Nullification or Dissolution is a further process.

You have to observe each process and detach completely. Perfect ‘shanti’ then falls upon you. If you are on a path of leaving the house to go wandering, Guru for this path will happen to you. That Guru may not wear cloths or may not look crisp, clean or attractive in the terrestrial sense. But in a city like this, if someone does not wear the cloths, you discard the Guru! This is our level of operation. I have written about the Principles of Guru in one blog. I do not like to mince my words.

Whether same or different, love them all

Q: I talk to my colleagues and friends about the spirituality. But I get negative answers from them, most of the time. What is this?

A: You cannot force anybody. If you are here today, that means, you have that particular vasana and karma in you, that brought you here. Otherwise you would have been in a movie theatre. What made you come here may not be the same constitution for another person. That person may not understand what you are talking about. Do not force anyone. Tell them once, twice, and no more. If they are interested, they will come to you, asking more questions. If not, they are not interested and leave them alone.

My path is a no nonsense path. This is a path of annihilation. This is not a path of ‘feel good’.

This is the simplest possible path. The reason is this path is like a monkey child clinging onto mother monkey. It does not do anything apart from clinging onto the mother. Mother is climbing the tree. Shaktipat is the power that is changing you, not only this meditation. This meditation is just words and will work, if your mind stays within you, following it, without wandering off. If mind is unavailable, if words can change someone, everybody would be changing. The software change that happens within you is also through the Shaktipat. The Shaktipat burns the unwanted chaff or debris of karmas. This clears your path. This works at physical, mental, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and all other levels. It works in various planes. Each Shaktipat has the clear potential to make distinct changes in the receiver. It is life-changing. It is a very serious thing. All the people who are empowered to give Shaktipat have taken big responsibilities.

In answer to your question, if somebody does not come, it does not matter. If somebody comes it does matter, because there is reason for his/her coming here. We deliver with utmost purity and dedication with no second agenda.

Q: Should we ask people to come?

A: I usually DO NOT ask people to come for meditation. When this whole thing happened to me, I told all Masters that, “I am an introverted person. I cannot invite people and deliver talks”. Masters said, “That is not your problem. We will bring people to you.” So, I always believe that, those are attending my sessions or the BTW meditations, all over the world, are sent by the Masters.

I deliver whatever I can in one go and within your capacity or whatever you can effortlessly carry. Even if we do not meet again in life, I have delivered what I could today. Tomorrow if you bring a bigger bucket, I will fill it up too. Today you have received according to your capacity. What people get out of this class depends upon what sort of utensil they bring. If someone is inspired by you to attend this class, it is because their Karma drives them here. Their eligibility brings them here. We have a lot of desires which do not get fulfilled. Whatever we deserve – surely we will get it.This is the fundamental principle of life. If something has not come to you means you were not eligible for it. But our EGO does not allow us to understand and accept this.

You can tell people that you had a good experience. I always encourage people to write their experiences. Tomorrow your mind might say that, oh, that was an imagination. You can only start walking from where you are standing, right now. Similarly in Spirituality, start walking from which position you are standing in. If, you are in grade A, start from there and go to B, C, ….. Your mind may ask to jump to F or G; there is no shortcut, you must walk from A to G. This can happen through lifetimes, not only in this life. You have done what you could do in this life. You may continue in next life. Let it be. What is the big deal? Start walking from where you stand.

Guru is holding your hand. You are walking. Guru cannot walk on your behalf. Guru can secure your walk. He will not allow you to fall. He is just a road sign. He gives direction. Walking and travelling you have to do.

When you radiate That, all the friends gather

Similarly for your friends, tell them that it helped you. It suited you. They can try, if they like.

Take it if it suits you. Discard it if it does not suit you. If you approach with equanimity and objectivity, it will stay. But what happens in reality, we say ‘Oh, my Guru is the best and the perfect one!’ We sell the Guru. Then others get bored and probably suspicious. Friends may turn away thinking you are mad.

Q: Why is surrender so difficult for people?

A: EGO. Surrender means egolessness. When you prostrate, heart and head are in one line. Why we touch somebody’s feet? We consider that, this man, whose feet we are touching, exists in absolute consciousness. This is our assumption.

When we touch elderly people’s feet, that does not mean that they exist in absolute consciousness. We respect their age, experience and evolution. Actually, soul’s age should be considered and not the physical age. Physical age has no value because everyone will get old one day. Consciousness level in which he operates is the most important thing.

Enlightened masters like Shirdi Baba and Bhagawan Nityananda behaved like ordinary people or even like beggars. It confused people. How can he be an enlightened Master? Again, mental images block our vision. Our mind does not allow us to touch their feet. Mind pushes us to touch the feets of the glamourous, articulate and pompous, than the true and the real!!! Thus we miss great opportunities. He is available!! He is standing there with his feet for you! 🙂

Q: A question about the Shaktipat process – is it to correct the deficiency in the body or transfer the energy for the purpose of healing?

A: The tradition of Shaktipat is to speed up the spiritual process. You can do sadhana and achieve. Shaktipat aligns the system to receive the energy. The one who gives Shaktipat is able to handle much higher energy than a receiver. The bulb is only of 20 watts but electricity line carries much higher energy. Bulb is tuned to receive only 20 watts. When it is transferred, you receive the quantity that you can handle. So you are not burnt! It operates at physical level because it has healing powers. It operates at emotional level to heal emotions. It also operates at intellectual level so that you think clearly and your awareness can grow. It shifts your consciousness to a plane of spiritual progress. Your awareness is shifting, which you will know in the days to come. The Shaktipatenergy works over a period of time. The cleansing is continuously happening. You are evolving. Tomorrow your capacity will change. You will be given Shaktipat or will receive shaktipat according to your capacity.

Initiation – the sacred, eternal mark of Love

To be capable of giving Shaktipat, one needs initiation. The main criterion is that person should be operating from the level of purity, not from the level of desire (desire to become a Guru, desire to have money, etc.). It has to come to you. If you decide, that desire becomes your blockage. When you are pure, the perfection of transfer happens. Receiver and the giver are in perfect mode. The receiver will get what he or she deserves.

Q: What is the purpose of being in Dharma mode?

A: Dharma is not a purpose. It is a pure duty. Animals always operate on dharma mode. Sun. moon and stars operate in dharmic mode. They have a specific system of operation. If there are lot of deers and few tigers, a tiger will never kill a deer for sake of fun or to control the population! Tiger will kill a deer only when he is hungry. We humans do not do that. We kill for pleasure. Thus it becomes Karma. The Sun is rising every day. It does not say “I am tired today; I will come tomorrow.” Dharma is the base and basis of the universe. Karma is the basis for individual life and its corresponding happenings and experiences.